


Fade

by daisiesonice



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 15:44:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5545676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisiesonice/pseuds/daisiesonice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack has only ever known one wind spirit but not their name or age. Then, he realises something isn't quite right with the wind and finds himself in the presence of Aeolus and his many children.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fade

**Author's Note:**

> It's like half 1 in the morning I was playing shadows of the damned and then this happened.

Aeolus, keeper of winds, did not cry for his son. He was the father of many children, countless wind nymphs and summer breezes, he’d outlived so many. One of his oldest sons, Arnine, was fading.  
  
Dia, however, wept for her brother. He was strong but independent, as many of her siblings were, she hadn’t seen him in 50 years and he’d come back home to their island of winds. He greeted her with a weak smile and Aeolus summoned him. They talked for hours, she tried to hear any snippet of their conversation through the door but to no avail.  
Arnine came to her room that night. He updated her on his adventures. He’d stayed with the young winter spirit he’d found so many years ago and now the spirit's power had exceeded his expectations.  
  
“He summons me when he needs to fly and, Dia, you should see what he can do. I would take him anywhere, he brings the frost and the snow and the ice,” Arnine said, resting on her bed. She blew a light breeze, grounding him and he continued, “But it looks like my adventures are over. Every wind ends eventually.”  
  
Dia held in her tears, “Will you stay here?”  
  
“Until I fade, sister,” he closed his eyes, “Will you do me a favour?”  
  
“Anything.”  
  
He grasped her hand, “The other winds will not serve him like I have. He has an important job and to do it he needs someone reliable.”  
  
“And summoning our brothers and sisters constantly will annoy them, I can imagine,” she smiled, “I will do my best, I promise you.”  
“Thank you. You will see the world with him. It may be dangerous at times but it’s nothing you can’t handle.”  
  
“I’m not as strong as you, Ari,” she sniffled and closed her eyes for a moment, attempting to stop crying, “What’s this winter spirit like? Why stay with him? Have you ever spoken to him? Does he even know you are like this, brother? Does he cry for you like I do? I promise I will go whenever he summons me but… No one appreciates the wind.”  
  
“He does. He understands. We have never talked but that doesn’t matter,” he said and she could feel his weariness, “We winds don’t talk much. Could you thank him for me?”  
  
“Shh, shh, sleep now. You need to rest.”  
  
He ignored her, “You should know his name, his name is Jack Frost… And I will rest now, I am so tired, sister.”  
  
“I know, Ari, I know.”  
  
Dia summoned their siblings and throughout the world every nymph, harpy, and venti gust gathered at their island. Arnine had lived a long life, a thousand years to be exact and had travelled so much he was well known in their world. To honour him they threw a feast, she and her sisters danced the night away. They offered her fine wine but she refused.  
  
Her brothers lover, Jani, a woodland nymph was the life of the party. He celebrated his lover's life, his mourning was no less than those who cried for his lost lover but he dealt with it differently. His tree, a willow, under which they had met was decorated with ribbons and garlands. Dia found him sitting on his usual branch.  
They greeted each other with a smile. Jani made a flower bloom and held it out in his hand, his skin like bark and and hair like leaves She swept up the flower, it rose up, past the tree and past the palace of winds, the petals scattered across the earth. Her breeze carried the petals to the places her brother had loved.

Dia waited till most of them were sleeping. To honour her dear brother she painted an intricate pattern on the entrance to the palace, the pattern represented the force of his wind. It was powerful, graceful and ancient at the same time. She changed into a simple white bandeau top and matching skirt that flowed with her as she walked.  
There was a pen and paper on her desk but there was little point in leaving a note for her family. Wind nymphs came and went faster than a summer breeze, her brother wasn’t uncommon in his less than often visits to home. Dia picked up a book to pass the time. It was a book about sailing. She loved sailors.  
  
In the good old days she was the one who gave them a favourable wind and joined them on their adventures. But it was a much sort after job and she’d left it behind, content to let her younger siblings enjoy their freedom.  
  
And so her time was mostly spent on the island, occasionally she wandered to give a pleasant breeze at an outdoor wedding or vent her anger and join in with the venti and cause a storm. Generally, she lived a steady life.  
  
She put the book down. She had a strong feeling Jack Frost was going to change that.

“Wind, take me to the North Pole!” Jack Frost said and she turned into a strong gust, disappearing with a pop from her calm bedroom.  
  
Jack Frost was a strange spirit. He wore human clothing, a blue jacket and brown pants. His white hair wasn’t uncommon with wind nymphs and she supposed winter spirits were similar to them in many ways.  
  
Dia had never actually met a winter spirit before and spent the journey cautiously observing him. He got distracted by little things like the view, the stars, children and used his powers playfully, he created snowflakes and rained down snowballs on a group of passing fishermen.  
  
Jack spun in the air. She was unused to such an unruly passenger and she almost dropped him.  
  
He hesitated but asked, “Er, I know we don’t normally talk or anything, I don’t even know if you can but er… You’ve been a bit weird lately.”  
  
She lifted him up, up to the skyscrapers and startled birds. She let him dive and play. He laughed and used his staff to make frost on people's windows. Elated, Dia took them faster and faster to the North Pole.  
  
She regretted her clothing choice as she shivered, her wind creating an odd sensation for her passenger.  
  
This time Jack didn’t comment on the odd behaviour. He landed steadily in North’s home. Her first journey with Jack Frost was a short one but it had been fun. Even better, she got to see Santa’s workshop.  
  
Still in wind form she swept through the room, looking at the globe, elves, yetis and all the strange items for human children. The hardworking yetis sighed at the soft breeze, refreshed if only for a moment.  
  
“Jack, my boy, it is good to see you!” North said and embraced the younger spirit.  
  
She paid them little mind, still entranced by the strange items. There was even a small, colourful wind turbine. Dia gleefully made it spin.  
  
Jack stared at the turbine, he twirled his staff and asked North, “I think there’s something up with the wind, have you heard anything?”  
North scratched his beard, “Hm, nothing unusual. What is the problem?”  
  
“It’s not a problem, exactly… More like it doesn’t feel the same.”  
  
“Ah, Jack, wind always changes. That is not strange.”  
  
“Yeah but… I just get the feeling something has happened. Ugh, sometimes I just wish we could talk. It’d be so much easier than this,” he pointed the staff at the still spinning turbine.  
  
Dia stopped. The winter spirit was clearly worried about this, about her brother… While North and Jack discussed different possibilities she questioned which option was best. She could turn into her nymph form and tell Jack the truth or stay in wind form, never speak and Jack would never even know her brothers name.  
  
“Jack, the wind spirits are, well, they party a lot. Yours could just be hung over!”  
  
Annoyed, she blew through the older guardians beard with a huff. She’d avoided alcohol at the party and now these guardians were making assumptions about her family. It was incredibly rude. North waved his hand, wafting away her windy form. She blew back over to Jack and surrounded him in a gentle breeze.  
  
Jack squinted, “Wait, you mean there’s multiple wind spirits?”  
  
“Of course,” North shrugged and turned around when he was called by one of the yetis. He was needed for some work, Christmas was a constant job, she supposed. She eyed his tattoos with curiosity, markings she’d seen on humans and the occasional spirit couldn't compare to the meaning of North’s.  
  
Jack tried to call North back but he was busy, lost in plans for the holiday. Jack scratched his head and wandered off, following North and the yetis.  
  
The elves waved their arms, imitating the movements of her breeze. Their childish joy increased as she spun through the wind, making papers and toys fly up into the air. Unlike her brother, she was ignorant of the guardians ways. What did she care for Christmas? What was the importance of papers? The elves giggled and she lifted them into the air, the elves grabbed each other's hands and waved their feet like children splashing in water.  
  
A yeti grunted in alarm, calling others to watch the odd spectacle. Dia brought them to the air too but kept them lower to the ground, she didn't want to tire, she didn't want this to end.

North was a tad surprised to see the globe room in such a mess. Jack laughed at first but coughed when North glared at him. The elves were placed on the ground, their arms still swaying. Reluctantly, she lowered the yetis as well and returned to the lesser entertainment of the wind turbine.  
  
“Looks like we have a young wind spirit on our hands.”  
  
Jack frowned, “It’s never been like this before. It’s always been more… Grounded?”  
  
North laughed, “Wind is not grounded, Jack. This is just a different wind spirit, no need to worry,” he patted Jack on the back and the force sent him stumbling a few steps, “Though I don’t appreciate the mess they’ve made here. They’ll be on the naughty list this year.”  
  
“Wind spirits are on the naughty list?” Jack asked.  
  
“All children are,” he puffed out his chest proudly.

 _No_ , she whispered, leaving the turbine behind. Jack’s hair on the back of his neck stood up and his eyes scanned the room, looking for the source of the barely audible voice, he asked North, “Did you hear that?”  
  
“Yes,” he said, his jolly disposition gone, “Winds don’t normally speak.”  
  
Jack smirked, “You must’ve really annoyed him.”

She told them,  _I am no child_ , tempted to appear in her corporeal form and shock them, _And I am not the wind you know.  
_  
The winter spirit relaxed and lowered his staff, “I thought so. Something has happened, North.”  
  
He shrugged, “You summoned a different wind. It happens.”  
  
Jack sighed, exasperated and she continued, _Come to the isle of winds and you will see._  
  
North put his hand on Jack's shoulder, “I am not sure this is a good idea. Even I haven’t been there.”  
_  
Yet you summon us every year for your oh so important holiday._

“Christmas is very important,” his eyes squinted.  
  
Jack felt the bitterness in her voice and let her speak, although the feeling of an angry breeze wasn’t a good one.

 _Come to the isle of winds,_ she repeated, her voice louder than a whisper but clear enough. North nodded, accepting the invitation and Jack followed his lead.  
She would’ve said more but her father whisked her away, back to her home. Dia caught one last look at the winter spirit, his eyes were filled with determination.  
While she couldn’t take him there, she knew the guardians had their own ways of travelling. Before her father knew who had opened the gates of their land to outsiders, she flew from the North Pole to England.

Dia hid in the midst of a school playground, she made their hair messy and enjoyed watching them from a distance. A mean child kicked a little boy to the ground and she took their hat. The mean child watched their hat fly up into a tree and the little boy ran to an adult.  
  
She released her wind form and enjoyed her more solid body, her almost transparent feet touched the damp grass and her hand trailed along the walls of the village church.  
A passerby gasped and looked twice, clutching their chest, “God, thought I saw a ghost.”  
  
Dia flew to the church roof and enjoyed the view. She watched the passerby enter their home, still unsettled.  
  
Before she could try to rectify that situation her father swept her away, back to their home.

She sat next to her father’s throne on a tasseled cushion. She and her sisters had all dressed up, Dia wore a silver wrap around her breasts and a long flowing skirt. She spotted Jani watering a potted plant to her left and waved. Her legs were curled comfortably, her skin bare and on display.  
  
Her father had chosen her outfit. He had chosen all of their outfits, the food, drink and jewels in the palace. His daughters were another form of wealth and he wouldn’t hesitate to display them in front of the guardians, who he considered young troublemakers.  
  
Aeolus did not trust humans either, thanks to a certain Greek. Jack was now a spirit but that human part of him would never truly leave. Nervous but not wanting to show it she nibbled at the grapes and laughed with her sisters. Many of them were recovering from the party held in their brothers honour and they groaned at the thought of visitors.  
  
Her father held up his hand and said, “Someone invited the guardians, the protectors of children, here today. I do not care for them, I do not care for human children, we are just the wind and we flow wherever we please. That being said they mean no harm. They need us, even though they are loathe to admit it.”  
  
There was a mumble of agreement.  
  
“Who do you think invited them?” a younger sister asked.  
  
He sighed and took a gulp of wine, “It doesn’t matter. Jani, open the doors.”

Unlike herself, Jack Frost hadn’t bothered to dress up. Her siblings watched the winter spirit with interest and his companion, North, whose swords they didn’t want to face.  
North bowed to her father, “It is good to see you, Aeolus, how long has it been?”  
  
“Not long enough,” he raised his goblet, “Come, drink with me.”  
  
They were handed a drink each, Jack eying the liquid cautiously. He was the spirit of fun, he obviously knew what alcohol was so why was he hesitating?  
  
Jack said, “Thanks but we actually came here to talk.”  
  
Her father sighed, “Sometimes I miss the Greeks. At least they understood hospitality. Fine, we will do it your way. What do you want?”  
  
She smiled at Jack encouragingly, he held his staff close and watched the large group of spirits with a mixed expression, awe and worry.  
  
Dia bit her lip and said to her father, aware all others were listening, “Father, please, don’t be impatient. These are the first guests we have had in a long time, we must greet them properly.”  
  
Aeolus took her advice and ordered his daughters to entertain their guests. Jack and North were given cushions, food and music. Jani reached to touch Jack’s staff, the winter spirit snatched it away and glared, she held back a laugh. Jani went back to his plants, Jack’s eyes on his back.  
  
She and her sisters danced slowly and perhaps a bit lazily. North tapped his goblet against Jack’s and they drank. Jack’s nose twitched.  
  
North entertained them with stories of his battles, even Aeolus listened in. North drew his swords and imitated one of his greatest fights as his friend watched from the ground, holding the goblet, staff lying comfortably beside him. Her siblings stopped dancing and engaged with the story, whooping and asking questions.  
  
While they were occupied, Dia danced behind the winter spirit. Jack clapped along with the crowd, smiling and laughing at all the right moments.  
  
She leant down and whispered in his ear, “Do you see now?”  
  
He tensed and she told him to relax. Dia glanced up at her father and found him enraptured by the tales of North, luckily.  
  
“See what?” he asked.  
  
She sat beside him, “Tell me what you think of this place.”  
  
“Er, its pretty nice?”  
  
“And?”  
  
“Everyone is happy?” he searched for the right words and looked at her, confused.  
  
She shook her head, “Look again.”

Jack watched her sisters, all too eager to escape in a strangers stories sip wine, their tiredness given away by their slouches and yawns. He looked at Jani who had wandered back to his plants, unlike the wind spirits Jani’s eye bags were clear to see. His smile was genuine but there was something there, something the spirit of fun couldn’t miss.  
  
She rest her chin on his shoulder, surprised he went to shake her away but must’ve realised what she was doing and settled down.  
  
Dia whispered in his ear, “When your friend is done I will ask my father to test you.”  
  
“Ok, what’s the test?” he grinned, any outsider would think they were having a moment when really they were both testing each other, she could tell by the glint in his eyes.  
  
“You must prove that you appreciate the wind.”  
  
He stopped smiling, “And how do I do that exactly?”  
  
Dia didn’t reply and sat back down next to her father who was still engaged with North’s story. Aeolus has soon opened up, he adored adventure stories. But he also loved making stories or to be exact, doing things people would talk about.  
  
She waited a few minutes, North was nearing the end of his story and Jack, to his credit, didn’t glance over at her persistently. He did look once out of the corner of his eye and her father just so happened to catch him.  
  
To avoid suspicion she uncrossed her legs, the split in the skirt revealing her skin flirtingly and played with her hair. Those actions turned to work in her favour and not just to paint Jack in a non suspicious light.  
  
Aeolus took a moment to talk to his daughter, “You are taken with him?”  
  
She smiled at the unexpected opportunity and spoke quietly, “In a way. Arnine spoke him often.”  
  
“My son did?” Aeolus tried to see anything but a young, blushing winter spirit in his palace but failed, “This boy?”  
  
“His name is Jack Frost. Surely Arnine must have told you?” she worried, had her brother really been that secretive?  
  
But no, Aeolus’s eyes glinted with recognition, “Indeed he did.”  
  
“Then,” she smiled, voice laced with fake sweetness, “Shall we see if he’s any good?”  
  
Aeolus hid a grin behind his hand, “What do you suggest?”  
  
Just in time, North finished his story. Her father was disappointed not to have heard the ending but now he had a whole new toy at his doorstep. She hissed her plan quickly to her father who stood and clapped, “Now, my new friends. I must ask you a favour.”  
  
“Of course!” North raised his arms cheerfully, still reeling from the joy of a great audience but there was an edge to his voice, an unspoken line they couldn't cross.   
  
“Jack Frost, isn’t it?” her father used his hand to indicate his guest should stand. And he did, reluctantly, “Most of my children have never met a winter spirit before. They would love to play with you.”  
  
Jack said, “Yeah, sure, I am the guardian of fun, after all. What sorta guy would I be to say no?”  
  
The youngest children cheered excitedly and without warning lifted Jack into the air. Of course, they were young and barely took him a foot off the ground for more than a few moments but he felt their joy. Her teenage brothers grinned and took him higher, roughly, practically wrestling with him in the air. She and her sisters, all around 200 years old were a mix of sleepiness, curiosity and (in her case) flirtatiousness. They lowered him to the ground and spun around him, rustling his hair and playing with his strange clothes.  
  
She whispered,  _You will see.  
_  
It was a reminder that the test, while fun, was anything but a game. Yet he kept smiling, his eyes crinkled. Her sisters returned to their father's side while she remained. As she had that morning, Dia threw him up in the air, dropped him, took him around the room and back.  
  
Soon, they were joined by her elder brothers.  
  
And by the way Jack’s eyes widened he had seen. Her three eldest brothers gathered around him, Armand lifted his arms, Argo lifted his head and Arfod kept his chest steady. His feet were left dangling unsteadily, they were out of balance. She returned and brought the balance but it was not the same. Unlike the children there was no joy, her brothers felt nothing for the winter spirit.  
  
They had seen many spirits, travelled with so many, yet their brother had chosen to serve this one, a youngling, a lost one for so long. They were not bitter. It was their brothers choice to do so, though, they did not understand. Winds were fickle, they went wherever they felt they wanted to and sometimes never returned home. No, they just wished the spirit would see.  
  
And he did.  
  
Jack felt his feet touch the ground, “Ok, something is definitely wrong here.”  
  
Aeolus raised an eyebrow, “Is that so?”  
  
“Is someone missing?” Jack pointed his staff at the many wind spirits, “Look, I haven’t met many of you before. But one wind was always with me and they’re not here.”  
  
North crossed his arms, “We are guardians. We can help.”  
  
But the wind spirits went eerily quiet. Dia ushered the youngest out of the room.  
  
Jani took a deep breath and stood strong by the left side of her father, “No. You really can’t. Thank you, though. My lover was proud to take you where you needed to go. He was proud you found your centre. And he’d be proud you see he is no longer here.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Jack gripped his staff tightly, his knuckles turning even whiter.  
  
“My son Arnine has faded. He is no more.”  
  
Jack gawked at her father then shook his head. He walked out of the palace, not bothering to summon any of them to fly away. Jani nodded at North and offered to escort him back to the sleigh.

Dia followed Jack to the outside walls. He sat on the ground, one leg curled into his chest. She couldn't read his emotions but approached him anyway.  
  
“Are you angry?” she asked.  
  
“No, no,” he looked up and she knelt down, her long skirt floated upwards to avoid the ground, “It’s just… I didn't know. I never know anything.”  
  
“My brother never spoke much. But when he did, he told me stories about a boy from a lake who was lost in a vast world. We don’t normally stick around for long but he quite liked you. I do as well. You’re very fun,” she said, honestly, “And you know more than you think.”  
  
“Why didn't he ever speak to me? Not once, all those ye-”  
  
“Would it have changed anything?” she asked, her voice steady unlike his.  
  
“Yes!” he laughed, “It would've changed everything!”  
  
“What should he have said?”  
  
Jack sank onto the wall, “I don’t know. I really just don’t know. Anything. A hello would've been nice.”  
  
She sighed and held out her hand. He took it and Dia pulled him up. His fingers barely touched her, afraid to grasp her in case she wisped away. She moved his hand to the wall, together they traced the brick and felt the ancient magic holding it together.  
  
It wasn't like Tooth’s palace, bustling with active fairies and bright magic. No, it was old, strong but used to being overlooked. He could relate.  
  
“Every one of us comes to an end. Arnine was a thousand years old,” she told him and he took that information in. He could barely fathom being three hundred, what was such a long life like? She continued, “You spent years with him, going from place to place. You knew him. You didn't know his voice or his appearance or his name. But you knew him.”  
She traced his fingers along her small painting, the blue and grey pattern clear against the white stone.  
  
“This is him,” he stated, his hand planted firmly on the wall, “I’d know him anywhere.”  
  
Dia let go of his hand, she said, “I hope years from now you’ll be able to say the same things about me.”  
  
His hand dropped from the wall, “Are you saying you-”  
  
“Yes,” she smiled, “Where do you want to go first?”

Jack cheered mid air, they’d flown to Burgess but he didn't want it to stop just yet. She took him to the icy lake, he felt her wonder at the world around her. He felt her shiver at the cold temperature as she relished in the sensation she’d never feel at home. He felt her blush as he embraced the new wind with ease.  
  
He spotted a group of kids including Jamie having a snowball fight. She picked up on his eagerness and they flew over there, the kids greeted him with hugs and a snowball to the chest. She stayed with them, carrying his snowballs further and rustling the kid’s hair.  
  
At the end of the day, when he was starting to think he’d never see her properly or hear her speak again, thinking he had gained another silent companion but lost something he wasn't sure how to define, she whispered to him.  
  
_Where next?_


End file.
